Naveen Sridhar has written a literary love story which is partial memoir, partial biography. Sridhars connection with the subject of the story, his wife Renate, gives a unique perspective about growing up in Germany during WW II and what life was like behind the Berlin Wall. Whilst most books focus on Allied soldiers and their families or the Holocaust, this book focuses on how the German people also suffered during the pivotal and haunting time what life was like for ordinary Germans living the rule of government policies and ideologies in which many could not be trusted. What I specially loved was the glimpse this gave into the unsung heroes the wives and mothers who silently endured the pain and heartbreak of missing loved ones while keeping the country running. Another fascinating part was looking at the difficulties citizens faced when traveling between East and West Germany. Seeing how the country was divided because of a border wall and making enemies out of former neighbors really resonated with topics made instant connections with today's headlines. A careful look will show that modern people deal with the same issues. The lessons of diversity and acceptance, so new to us today, were also challenges for the characters during this time period. A modern reader will have a lot to consider and much to learn from Renates examples. At the end of the day we are all Berliners. Pacific Book Review
For anyone thinking of writing this sort of family biography, this is a textbook in how to do it. Stylistically rich both detailed and breezy, with enough dialog due to the strength of his writing and the thoroughness of his research. SPR Review.
Erudite without being overbearing a unique, spellbinding biography..both charming and elucidating. IndieReader Review
You feel with the flow connect with the pages as you move on true events peered with a beautiful narrative. Ashvamegh Int. J. of English Literature
Sridhar has a talent for highlighting the good in these accounts, and he creates a charmed story with continual reinventions. While it's tough for any single person to emblematize a generation, Candlelight in a Storm is an accomplished tribute to Renate's confidence, luck, perseverance, and spirit. Clarion Review
Effectively portrays the hardships of life shows how the sustained love of two people can surmount any adversity blueink Review
Much more than the history of one individual; it is a window to the struggles ordinary Germans faced during the Cold War years. An excellent account as a chronicle of Cold War Germany, Sridhars well-written and informative narrative sheds new light on the often underreported trials of its citizens and foreign residents. Recommended by the US Review of Books
www.naveensridhar.com
